Toronto Regional Board of Trade clearly out of touch with the city

posted by NationBuilder Support on December 04, 2013

NoJetsTO: In a last ditch effort Porter CEO Robert Deluce calls on his friends in high places through the Toronto Board of Trade.TORONTO –
TRBOT’s last minute release the night before the executive council vote on Porter Plans adds a layer of class warfare into the mix. City Councillors are starting to lean towards a proposal to support the city staff recommendation to defer decision on expansion to 2015 due to lack of information. TRBOT along with the TPA, Porter Airlines and Deputy Mayor Norm Kelly are trying to force this decision through.
“Getting support from Bay Street is not anything new. Especially given that Porter Airlines sees 76% repeat business travelers and the TRBOT helped the TPA with a flawed economic study in 2012, that laid the foundation for PorterPlans,” NoJetsTO chair Anshul Kapoor said. “TRBOT is clearly out of touch with the city’s needs. With 17M visitors to Harbourfront Centre alone and the current negative impacts on waterfront businesses, TRBOT is only focusing on Bay Street gains.”
TRBOT has chosen to ignore City Staff, WaterfrontTO, TRCA and Toronto Board of Health findings and just focus on their “convenience” and their pockets to help Porter raise debt to buy jets.
Kapoor added. “It is shocking that an organization such as the TRBOT has come out to support a flawed proposal, I’m sure if it was their money and not the taxpayers they would approach this issue more carefully.”
“NoJetsTO represents the voice of over 10K signatures and those who enjoy the waterfront over those who those who want a convenient way of leaving the city through the waterfront,” the NoJetsTO chair concluded. “City Councilors need to vote on what is best for the city as a whole not just big business. They need to think about the waterfront businesses, Torontonians and Tourists that want to enjoy the waterfront experience. ”
NoJetsTO is a coalition of concerned citizens dedicated to preserving Toronto’s mixed-use waterfront and a boutique Island Airport. Representing residents across Toronto, the non-partisan organization NoJetsTO opposes the expansion of the Island Airport through jet aircraft and extended runways. NoJetsTO’s goal is to preserve the status quo at the Island Airport by protecting the Tripartite Agreement that governs it.